Freyja by Margrét Ann Thors: Book Review

Freyja is the debut novel by Icelandic author Margrét Ann Thors. Expected to be released on August 4, 2026, this dual-timeline story shakes a woman to her core. Unnur was a witness to a disappearance when she was a child. Now, she’s finding herself questioning herself as a stranger starts mentioning things that only one other person knows. Why does it shake her so much? Because that person disappeared over twenty years ago!

I want to thank Spiegel & Grau and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Freyja. All opinions presented here are solely mine.

Synopsis from Goodreads

Unnur has secrets. A single mother to a beloved daughter, Lilja, she lives a deliberately quiet life in Reykjavík, working at a bakery under an assumed last name and pushing away haunting visions of the last summer of her childhood. Her safety—and Lilja’s—now hinges on discretion. But when her ex-husband returns to Iceland and brings with him a new girlfriend, who seems to know more about Unnur than she’s letting on, Unnur may finally have to face what happened long ago on a black sand beach in the remote Dark Valley—and the possibility that she might be responsible for the disappearance of her otherworldly friend Freyja.

As a cold case investigation reopens and the intricate threads of past and present begin to tangle, Unnur must race to recover the broken memory of what happened all those years ago, or risk losing her daughter. Steeped in Icelandic folklore and myth, Freyja is at once a gripping story of a child’s disappearance, a testament to the power of a mother’s love, and an enthralling tale of redemption and forgiveness from a gifted new voice.

My Opinions

Freyja was an instant addition to my TBR when I first learned of the book. Why? Partly because it’s set in Iceland, and partly because the author is Icelandic. But wait, there’s more! The synopsis grabbed my attention. And in recent years, I’ve learned I like Nordic thrillers!

The cast of characters is an interesting group. I found myself empathizing with Unnur as she struggles to find her way after receiving an anonymous letter. She experienced things as a child that no one should have to experience. Lilja is often a bit more grown up than a seven-year-old ever should be. Don’t get me started on Unnur’s ex-husband or his girlfriend. Both of them bother me so much in so many ways.

I found the pacing of the story at the start to be a tad slow. I struggled to stay with the book and was tempted to DNF it. While it took until the halfway point, once the secrets started to be revealed, the story became much more interesting. Sadly, the ending felt a tad rushed, and like things were wrapped up a little too neatly.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Freyja. I think it could have been better, but I look forward to reading more from Thors.

Are you looking for some more books to read? Check out my bookish lists, book reviews, and monthly reading wrap-ups.